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Re: Photographic Craftsman Degree

Some of you may be able to answer this - is there a particular department that handles these degrees?

I just looked up my merits and I have 15 speaking merits (actually should be 17 but one of the state PPA conventions are not listed on there - though I do have the paper certificate) and also have 18 service merits. This should qualify me for Craftsman Degree, correct?

I'm wondering if the application or something got lost in the mail or mixed up with my name change (got married last year).

Re: Photographic Craftsman Degree

Yes you have enough, but as the degrees won't be confered till IUSA next January you won't be contacted until probably October or November. If you want confirmation call PPA and ask for the merits and degrees coordinator.

Re: Photographic Craftsman Degree

Originally Posted by LianaBanana

(actually should be 17 but one of the state PPA conventions are not listed on there - though I do have the paper certificate)

When was the PA event? I suspect if you have the paper merit though that means it was ordered from PPA and the mix up is probably at PPA not in PA. If it's only been a couple weeks, then give it another week or two and then call PPA and ask for the merits and degrees coordinator. The other thing is you can only get a certain number of speaking merits from any one association in a year. So if you gave more then one program in PA in the same year, you might not have been eligible for speaking merits the second time around.

Re: Photographic Craftsman Degree

Originally Posted by Keith_A_Howe

When was the PA event? I suspect if you have the paper merit though that means it was ordered from PPA and the mix up is probably at PPA not in PA. If it's only been a couple weeks, then give it another week or two and then call PPA and ask for the merits and degrees coordinator. The other thing is you can only get a certain number of speaking merits from any one association in a year. So if you gave more then one program in PA in the same year, you might not have been eligible for speaking merits the second time around.

Keith

Thanks Keith for the info!!

I actually had most of these since 2007/2008 so I'm not sure why I was not contacted back then? I got married in 2009 and my last name changed, but not my address so I would have still received stuff in the mail but I honestly do not remember anything ever coming.

1/20/08 - PPA Nebraska Speaker - should have merits for this but I don't see any listed. I have my speakers contract and the wooden plaque in the shape of Nebraska, but no merits shown on my merits page. I think I have the certificate around here somewhere too. I remember this one quite clearly. On 1/19 we had a flight canceled an the entire ATL/SE area airports shut down for a snow storm. We rented a car and drove 20+ hours to get from Atlanta to Nebraska in time for me to speak, no only 1-3 hr sleep. I was very grateful for a friend there to help me drive through the snow all day Saturday. We only had 25 hrs or so to get there and the drive was about 20 hrs in the snow.

Then I've got the various 18 service merits.

I suppose there is some confusion on my account due to my name change perhaps I'll just call next week and find out. They're supposed to consolidating my accounts right now (so my maiden name PPA stuff goes with my PPA records since I got married).

I honestly never paid much attention to the merit part of all this until this year - I just spoke where called to. Now there's so many photographers coming into the market - it makes sense to pursue these degrees to set yourself apart.

Re: Photographic Craftsman Degree

I have to admit I'm a tad discouraged lately because although I have enough speaking engagements to earn my merits, I always seem to have a problem actually getting the merits! I always ask for them up front and remind them about my ppa # just prior to the event, but so many of the guilds simply don't request them in time... It's driving me crazy because I've gotten in my car and driven up to 7 hours for one engagement and still haven't gotten that merit! I've actually considered giving up on the whole thing because there's really no recourse to get the merits that I've already worked for or at least it's my understanding that speakers are really at the mercy of the guilds...

Re: Photographic Craftsman Degree

Cindi - Thank you for bringing this up. I just did my first speaking engagement last week. My merits for that were showing on my record when I checked 2 days later, which was amazing to me. Since it seems that other groups may not request the merit in such a timely manner - I would like to know how this whole "request a merit" thing works so that I may keep abreast of what should be happening within what timeline.

I have just enough engagements scheduled this year to earn my Craftsman and have it awarded in Jan 2011. I would surely hate for one group to hold that up.

Re: Photographic Craftsman Degree

There's no big secret to how requesting a merit works. The association manager fills in a form and sends it to PPA. PPA will check the group's merit allocation to assure that they have the merits to give, then PPA Headquarters issues the merit. Some associations order the merits in advance of the program and have the certificates on hand to award at the conclusion of the program. Some associations request the merit after the program has been presented in which case PPA will credit the merit to the members account and mail them the certificate.

Also be aware that just because you have not received a merit certificate, it does not mean that you did not receive the merit. I have some service merits (from the PPA-PEC for working at the national judging) credited to my account that I have never received the certificates for (maybe they just got lost in the paper shuffle or lost in the mail) - but the merits were credited to me on my merit report, so I did get the merits.

Cindi - you may want to check your merit report to see if they were credited to your merit record - you may have the merit and just be missing the paper certificate.

Last edited by Rick_Massarini; 05-31-2010 at 12:44 AM.

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